The present embodiment relates to a power compensation apparatus and a method of controlling the same.
With development of industry, large amounts of power have been required. A power generation complex having a power system needs to be developed according to demand for generating large amounts of power. Power consumption has increased in densely populated areas including metropolitan areas.
It is difficult to newly mount power transmission equipment for supplying power from a power generation complex to a power consumption area due to a NIMBY phenomenon or difficulty in security of sites where power transmission equipment is mounted. Therefore, the need for a flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) for improving power flow, system voltage and stability has arisen. A STATic synchronous COMpensator (STATCOM) which is a third-generation power compensator of a FACTS is connected to a power system in parallel to compensate for reactive power and active power necessary for the power system.
In a conventional STATCOM, as shown in FIG. 1, although a power system consistently requires active power, since power (energy) is not stored in a capacitor of the STATCOM, active power is not supplied to the power system. In other words, while the capacitor of the STATCOM is charged with power, active power cannot be supplied to the power system. That is, in the conventional STATCOM, it is impossible to charge the capacitor and, at the same time, to supply active power.
Accordingly, since the conventional STATCOM cannot consistently supply active power to the power system, the power system cannot stably operate.